Please check all relevant authorities before fishing - www.ifs.tas.gov.au and dpipwe.tas.gov.au . Don't forget issuu.com/stevenspublishing for years of back issues !

Fly fishing in October/November - Tasmanian Northern Lowlands

Nick Voce
Some beautiful weather at this time of year has provided conditions that can only highlight the enjoyment of our favourite outdoor pursuits. Many of us will be encouraged to venture forth and pursue our fabulous trout.

On the beach

Andrew Richardson.

My best friend Martin and I have been fishing buddies for years. We grew up together at Mole Creek in the state's north and together we have fished for trout for as long as I can remember. We would often venture down to the local creek or ride our bikes to the Lobster River at Chudleigh to try and catch a trout for tea. 

The bizarre Booby - a great import

Joe Riley
Anyone who has picked up an English fly fishing magazine will have read about the virtues of the Booby. This bizarre looking fly has been around the lake fly fishing scene in England for close on twenty years. In this time it has become one of the "must have" patterns in fly boxes for everyone from rank beginners to the top competition anglers. The Booby is a fly that can be fished on every line from a super fast sinker to a floating line, it can be used for very specific purposes as a sacrificial fly, but will catch plenty of brown and rainbow trout in its own right.
You would think that a fly with such abilities would be well recognised here in Tassie, however if you asked ten fly fisherman about the Booby, I reckon about 8 or 9 of them would be thinking lingerie not fishing.

Atlantic salmon the hard way

Scott McDonald
The first Atlantic salmon eggs used to begin Tasmania's Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry were introduced into Tasmania in 1984. From these humble beginnings a valuable Tasmanian industry has evolved with a worldwide reputation for having a premium disease free product. This industry provides a spin off to all anglers in the form of regular escapes of salmon from the farms.

Damon's top nine trout and salmon lures for 2005-2006

There are many lures on the market at the present. The soft plastics have taken the fishing world by storm. I must admit that I am no fan of them myself. I still enjoy using more traditional lures such as balsa minnows, deep divers, spinners and cobras. I find the smart hard body lure fisher can still keep up with or even out fish the plastics with the right formula.

Fish in the water

"Give the fish a chance, put the fly on, or in the water"

Barry Hickman
Fly fishing, by definition, must involve a genuine attempt to capture fish. Armed with a balanced outfit and adequate casting skills the final element, fishing the water, is still not without it's challenges. This is particularly so for our ever increasing, urban based, aspiring fly fishers who, more than others need this type of outdoor activity, but have little experience to draw on to understand the aquatic and marine environment of the fishes. It is most likely unfamiliar and the mirror like surface of the water, denies vision of the fish habitat and behaviour below.

Maximising you fishing time - Tournament or not

Leroy Tirant
Tournament fishing can sound intimidating to the average angler, especially those who wish to enter the competition arena. However, when you witness the line up of boats at the start of an event it does become inspiring. To see the latest fishing rigs, gleaming paint jobs and major horsepower being run by tournament fishos-with household names and any budding angler will want to join their ranks.

Top waters - recommended by the IFS

Tasmanians are lucky to be surrounded by a wealth of prime trout fishing destinations with both lake and river fisheries well catered for.  With the 2005-06 angling season starting on Saturday 6 August, it is timely for anglers to reflect on the success of last season and begin to peruse maps in order to plan for the coming trout season.
Over the past twelve months, the Inland Fisheries Service has been busy with the most intense stocking program in recent times.  This has seen brown, rainbow and brook trout, in-conjunction with large Atlantic salmon, released into various waters throughout the State. The information provided below should assist both new and dedicated trout anglers to make plans for the coming season.

Anglers win fight for netting restrictions to stay

New rules for Scalefish came into place in Tasmania on 1 November 2004. Part of the rules was Rule 73, which removed night netting for recreational fishers.
Despite the fact that is was well accepted and it reduced long soak times, a practice that is seen as unsustainable, Legislative Councillor, Paul Harriss moved a motion to disallow that rule.
Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News lobbied hard for the rule to stay, as did many others.
On June 21 2005 TARFISH Chairman, Beres Taylor briefed the Legislative Council. Below is a shortened version. It is still long, but worth reading. It has taken many years to reach this position which will improve the fishery for the long term. 

New strategy implemented to combat carp in Lake Sorell

The attempt to eradicate carp from Tasmania hangs in the balance. While there is a good chance that carp can be eradicated from Lake Crescent, Lake Sorell poses greater problems. Over 7700 carp have been removed from Lake Crescent since they were officially found back in February 1995. There has been a steady fish down and the last mature female captured from this lake was in November 2003. There has been no successful recruitment in this water since the year 2000. Any females that remain should be on the verge of becoming sexually mature in the coming spawning periods (October-January). Population estimates show that if there are any females the numbers they will be very low.

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